MLPs Can Generate Tax Bills In Retirement Accounts

It’s a surprise to many people that MLPs generate taxable income in retirement plans requiring a tax filing and payment of taxes.

Traders and investors are interested in using their IRA and other retirement plan accounts (collectively referred to as “retirement plans”) for making “alternative investments” in publicly traded master limited partnerships. Most MLPs conduct business in energy, pipelines, and natural resources.Retirement plans also make alternative investments in hedge funds organized as domestic limited partnerships or offshore corporations.

Publicly traded partnerships, including MLPs) and hedge fund LPs, use the partnership structure as opposed to a corporate structure. That allows organizers to pass through significant tax breaks on a Schedule K-1, including intangible drilling costs (IDC) and depreciation to individual investors. Taxes are paid on the investor/owner level, so the partnership structure avoids double taxation. Conversely, corporations owe taxes on the entity level and investor/owners pay taxes on dividends received from the corporation.

Tax problems for retirement plans investing in MLPs

Most MLPs conduct business activities including energy, pipelines and natural resources. But hedge funds do not — they buy and sell securities, futures, options and forex, which are considered portfolio income activities. Private equity and venture capital funds using the partnership structure also may pass through business activity income.

When retirement plans conduct or invest in a business activity, they must file separate tax forms to report Unrelated Business Income (UBI) and often owe Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT). MLPs issue Schedule K-1s reporting business income, expense and loss to retirement plan investor/owners. That’s the problem! The retirement plan then has UBI, and it may owe UBIT. Instead of the MLP being a tax-advantaged investment as advertised, it turns into a potential tax nightmare investment.

Form 990-T

According to Form 990-T and its instructions “Who Must File,” when a retirement plan has “gross income of $1,000 or more from a regularly conducted unrelated trade or business” it must file a Form 990-T (Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return). While the retirement plan may deduct IDC and depreciation from net UBI, gross income will probably exceed $1,000 causing the need to file Form 990-T. UBIT tax brackets go up to 39.6%, which matches the top individual tax rate. (See the UBIT rates and brackets in the instructions.) File Form 990-T to report net UBI losses so there is a UBI loss carryforward to subsequent tax years.

Don’t overlook the need to file Form 990-T

Noncompliance with Form 990-T rules can lead to back taxes, penalties and interest. It can lead to “blowing up” a retirement plan, which means all assets are deemed ordinary income. And if the beneficiary is under age 59½, it’s considered an “early withdrawal,” subject to a 10% excise tax penalty. Schedule K-1s are complex, and UBI reporting can be confusing especially if the retirement plan receives several Schedule K-1s from different investments. Don’t look to brokers for help; most have passed off this problem to retirement plan trustees and beneficial owners.

If your retirement plan is invested in a publicly traded partnership, assess your tax situation immediately, catch up with Form 990-T filing compliance and consider selling those investments. It’s better to buy them in a taxable account.